New Delhi, Nov 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over allegations of sexual assault against its Jharkhand MLA Bhushan Bara involving a minor tribal girl, accusing the Opposition party of maintaining "double standards" on women's safety and questioning the silence of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged that the Congress repeatedly speaks about women's empowerment but remains silent when serious allegations are levelled against its own leaders.
"On one hand, India is taking pride in its culture and worshipping Chhathi Maiya, who is the source of the creation of the universe. And on the other hand, you know how the Congress is repeatedly insulting women, who are the embodiment of Shakti," Swaraj claimed.
She pointed out that the press conference was being held a day before the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, which is observed as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day)', and termed the allegations against the Jharkhand MLA particularly shameful.
"In fact, investigating agencies have even registered an FIR under POCSO. If you look at the allegations, they are soul-crushing allegations. The allegation is that the MLA lured that innocent girl with the promise of education, lured her with the promise of a better life, and by bringing that 14-year-old minor on such a false promise, first made her do household chores, beat her, and later, allegations of sexual exploitation have also surfaced," she alleged.
"This grave matter has come to light through media reports, yet I am astonished that the Congress party, which champions slogans like 'Smash the Patriarchy', along with its leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mr Kharge, have all chosen to remain silent," she added.
Questioning the Congress leadership's response to the allegations, the BJP MP asked how long the party would continue to follow what she described as a principle of silence amounting to consent.
"Have you questioned this MLA of yours? Have you held him accountable? Certainly not. Double standards have become the standard political conduct within the Congress party," she said.
To support her allegations of selective action by the Congress, Swaraj also referred to party MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment by 11 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
She claimed that despite the allegations, the Congress had "rewarded him" and appointed him as the co-chair of the Election Committee, the Campaign Committee, and the Manifesto Committee ahead of the upcoming Manipur Assembly elections.
"When the direction is so fundamentally flawed, it is only natural that the state of affairs will also be poor," Bansuri Swaraj added.
The BJP MP also raised the issue of Congress leader Harak Singh, who has been appointed chairman of the party's Uttarakhand Election Committee. Referring to allegations made against him by a woman from Assam, Swaraj said the complainant had demanded a DNA test and that the matter had been handed over to a woman police officer for investigation.
"It is astonishing that the Congress party operates based on political expediency rather than moral principles," she further stated.
"There is a common thread running through all these instances: The silence of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi," the BJP MP added.
Taking aim at Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's slogan on women's empowerment, Swaraj questioned whether the party was equally committed to protecting women's dignity when allegations involved its own leaders.
"Priyanka Gandhi asserts, with great emphasis, 'Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon'. I would like to ask, when it comes to leaders within your own party, do you still stand firm for the dignity of women?" she questioned.
Drawing a comparison between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Swaraj said, "On one side, we have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose tireless efforts and development-oriented policies have ensured that women in this country are not viewed merely as beneficiaries, but as nation-builders -- recognised as self-reliant entrepreneurs. On the other side, we have Rahul Gandhi, who propagates hollow slogans like 'Smash the Patriarchy,' yet chooses to remain silent when it comes to the dignity of women."
"However, the public knows everything. Rahul Gandhi, I want to warn you that in the upcoming elections, women voters, in particular, will demand accountability from you and hold the Congress party responsible for every one of its anti-women stances," she stated.
The BJP MP also brought up a controversy involving a former office-bearer of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) at Delhi University, who had been accused of attempting to lure young women with concert tickets, gifts and other inducements.
"It is alleged that he attempted to lure young women, offering concert tickets, gifts, and other inducements, to take them to Ahmedabad, with the intent of involving them in illicit activities. Notice how Rahul Gandhi has remained silent even regarding the NSUI, which is the Congress party's student wing. This is the Congress party's age-old policy: they say one thing and do another," she claimed.
Swaraj alleged that the Congress leadership had repeatedly failed to speak up when allegations of sexual misconduct and exploitation involved people associated with the party.
"Every time there is deafening silence from the Congress party. It actually shows that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the Congress party are absolutely comfortable with objectification of women, very comfortable with victimisation of women, and clearly sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape; these kinds of serious allegations are something that they completely find benign and underestimate what a survivor or victim has to go through. Instead of becoming the voice of the voiceless, the Congress Party goes ahead and rewards its own leaders," Swaraj said.
"This puts a question mark on the political character of the Congress party," she added.
Source: IANS
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